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(11) | EP 0 156 917 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 158(3) EPC |
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| (54) | HIGH-ENERGY IGNITION APPARATUS |
| (57) A high-energy ignition apparatus has an ignition coil which generates from an output
of an ignition circuit a high voltage for causing an electrical discharge between
electrodes of an ignition plug, and a DC-DC converter which generates a voltage sufficiently
high for maintaining the discharge occurring at the ignition plug. The output of the
DC-DC converter is superposed on the discharge current induced by the ignition coil.
Further, the ignition coil and a transformer for the DC-DC converter are integrally
molded by means of a molding resin, thereby improving the electrical insulating properties
and allowing the apparatus to be easily mounted on a vehicle. |
Technical Field:
[0001] The present invention relates to an ignition device for internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to a high-energy ignition device in which the output from a DC-DC converter is superposed on the discharge current through a sparking plug such as to attain a long duration of the discharge in the sparking plug.
Background Art:
[0002] An ignition device is a device for allowing a high voltage discharge between two electrodes of a sparking plug such as to ignite a mixture in the engine, thereby triggering an explosive combustion. In order to attain a higher fuel economy and higher output power, it is necessary to effect stable and efficient combustion of the mixture.
[0003] A high voltage on the order of 10 to 20 KV is required for breaking the insulation across the electrode gap in the sparking plug. However, once the insulation is broken, the discharge can be maintained with only a medium-high voltage of 1 to 2 KV.
[0004] In view of this fact, a proposal has been made in which a high voltage pulse generated by an ignition coil is applied at the beginning to break the insulation in the sparking plug and, after the breakage of the insulation, a medium-high voltage generated by a DC-DC converter is superposed on the discharge current, thereby to maintain the discharge for a longer time. This ignition device, however, requires complicated wiring for connecting three constituent elements: namely an IC igniter, ignition coil and a DC-DC converter. It is quite troublesome to find sufficient room for accommodating these components and wiring in the restricted space of the engine compartment.
Disclosure of Invention:
[0005] An object of the invention is to provide a high-energy ignition device which permits simplification of the wiring and reduced size.
[0006] To this end, according to the invention, there is provided a high-energy ignition device in which a sparking plug and the output transformer of a DC-DC converter are subjected to an insulation treatment and, after laying electric connection between major portions, the sparking plug and the DC-DC converter are integrated with forming resin such as to withstand vibration while maintaining necessary insulation of sparking plug and the output transformer of the DC-DC converter.
Brief Description of the Drawings:
[0007]
Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram of a high-energy ignition device to which the invention is applied;
Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a high-energy igniation device in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a high-energy ignition device in accordance with the invention; and
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the high-energy ignition device of the invention, taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention:
[0008] Refering to Fig. 1 showing a circuit diagram which is an embodiment of the invention, a battery 10--is connected through a key switch 12 to an igniter coil 14 and an output transformer 18 of a DC-DC converter 16. The igniter coil 14 has a primary coil 20 one terminal 22 of which is connected through a line 23 to a line 24 leading to the battery 10, while the other terminal 26 is connected through a line 28 to the collector 34 of a transistor 32 in an ignition circuit 30. The emitter 36 of the transistor 32 is grounded, while the base 38 of the same receives the output signal from a pickup coil 40 which generates a signal synchronous with the engine operation. A circuit connected between the pickup coil 40 and the base of the transistor 32 is well known to those skilled in the art and, therefore, is not described in detail. The transistor 32 is adapted to be turned on and off by the output from the pickup coil 40 in synchronism with the engine operation, thereby interrupting the electric current in the primary coil 20 of the igniter coil 14. A secondary coil 44 which is magnetically coupled to the primary coil 20 through an iron core 42 is adapted to produce a high-voltage pulse when the current in the primary coil 20 is abruptly interrupted. The secondary coil 44 has a terminal 46 which is connected through a line 48 to the rotor 52 of a distributor 50. The rotor 52 is adapted to rotate in synchronism with the engine operation such as to successively contact the stationary contacts 54, 56, 58 and 60 of the distributor, thus generating sparks in the sparking plugs 62, 64, 66 and 68 corresponding to these stationary contacts.
[0009] One of the terminals 22 of the primary coil 20 is connected through a line 70 to the primary coil 72 of the output transformer 18. The primary coil 72 has a terminal 74 which is connected through a line 76 to an output terminal 75 of an oscillator 77 adapted to oscillate at a predetermined frequency, and another terminal 78 which is connected through a line 79 to the collector 82 of a transistor 80. The emitter 84 of the transistor 80 is grounded, while the base 86 is connected to the other output terminal 88 of the oscillator 77.
[0010] A secondary coil 90 of the output transformer 18 has a terminal 92 which is connected through a line 94 to a diode 96 which in turn is connected through a line 98 to a terminal 100 of the secondary coil of the igniter coil. The plus side of the diode 96 is grounded through a smoothing capacitor 102 and a line 104. The secondary coil 90 is magnetically coupled to the primary coil 72 through an iron core 106, while the other end is grounded through a line 110.
[0011] In the circuit arrangement described above, the transistor 32 is turned off by the output voltage of a pickup coil 40 which operates in synchronism with the engine operation, so that the current in the primary coil 20 is decreased abruptly. Consequently, a pulse of a voltage high enough to break the insulation gap in the sparking plug is generated in the secondary coil 44.
[0012] The DC-DC converter 16 turns the switching transistor 80 on and off in response to the output signal from the oscillator 77, thus intermittently applying an electric current from the battery 10 to the primary coil 72 of the output transformer 18. The secondary coil 90 of the transformer 18 produces a voltage of about 2 KV which is superposed on the high voltage pulse generated in the secondary coil 44 of the igniter coil 44, through a rectifier circuit consistuted by the diode 96 and the capacitor 102.
[0013] The above-mentioned high-voltage pulse is applied to one of the sparking plugs 62 to 68 selected by the distributor 50, thus breaking the insulation in the sparking plug. Once the insulation is broken, the discharge is maintained by the output from the DC-DC converter 16.
[0014] With this arrangement, it is possible to obtain a discharge of long duration, thus enabling efficient combustion of the mixture.
[0015] The circuit constituents such as the igniter coil 14, output transformer 18, high-voltage diode 96, capacitor 102 and so forth are integrally resin-molded as shown in Figs. 2 to 4.
[0016] The igniter coil is composed of the iron core which is formed by laminating L-shaped silica steel sheets, as well as the primary and secondary coils 20, 44. In order to reduce the size, this coil is constructed as a closed magnetic circuit type igniter coil. The primary coil 20 and the secondary coil 44 are impregnated with an epoxy varnish in a vacuum atmosphere after the coil winding, thus ensuring the insulation (see Fig. 4).
[0017] The DC-DC converter 16 has an aluminum case 114 accommodating the oscillator 77 and the switching transistor 80 and having heat radiating fins 112, the transformer 18 having a ferrite core 106, and the capacitor 102. In order to reduce the size of the DC-DC converter 16, it is necessary to design the oscillator 77 such as to oscillate at a high frequency. In order to minimize the generation of heat in the transformer 18 due to leak of high-frequency current in the primary coil 72, the described embodiment of the invention employs a ferrite having a large magnetic permeability as the iron core 106. The primary coil 72 and the secondary coil 90 are impregnated with an epoxy varnish after the coil winding for perfect insulation (see Fig. 4).
[0018] The igniter coil 14 and the transformer 18 thus electrically connected are integrated as they are injected with a forming resin 116. According to the invention, a resin having a good electrical insulation properties and excellent heat resistance and mechanical strength, e.g., PBT reinforced with glass, is preferably used as the forming resin 116.
[0019] The aluminum case 114 accommodating the oscillator 77 is fixed to the transformer 18 and also to the igniter coil 14, and the line 118 is connected to a terminal 122 through a connector 120 and is secured by a mounting piece 124 which serves also as a grounding path leading to the chassis.
[0020] The power supply for the oscilator 77 in the aluminum case 114 is connected through the line 76 to a power supply terminal 126 on the rear of the case 114, although not whoen. The ground side of the oscillator 77 and of the switching transistor 80 is connected to the mounting piece 124 through a ground path 128. A terminal 130 is connected to the transistor 32 in the ignition circuit.
[0021] In the ignition device of the invention having the describe construction, high electrical insulation is ensured and the number of cords leading to the outside is minimized because most of the wiring is fixed in the forming resin. The wiring does not hinder the mounting of the ignition device in the engine compartment, thus facilitating the installation in the vehicle. In addition, the overall size of the ignition device is reduced advantageously.
[0022] Electric current of high voltage generated in the igniter coil flows in t-e lines 98 and 104, so that a code equivalent to the line 48 has to be used for the wiring to these parts and particular care has to be taken to ensure insulation, unless the construction in accordance with the invention is employed. Namely, since the cords 98 and 104 are embedded in a forming resin in the invention, sufficiently strong insulation is ensured and the handling of the device as a whole is facilitated.
1. A high-energy igniation device comprising:
a pickup for generating an output synchronous with engine operation;
an ignition circuit including a switching device adapted to be turned on and off in accordance with the output from said puckup;
an igniter coil including a primary coil connected to said switching device, a secondary coil in which a high voltage is generated in response to an abrupt turning on and off of electric current in said primary coil, and an iron core between said primary and secondary coils; and
a DC-DC converter including a transformer constituted by a primary coil, a secondary coil and an iron core between said primary and secondary coils, a switching element connected in series to said primary coil, and an oscillator for turning said switching element on and off at a predetermined frequency, said DC-DC converter being adapted to produce, at the output said of said secondary coil, a DC voltage lower than the pulse voltage generated by said igniter coil and adapted to be superposed on the current produced by said igniter coil;
said igniter coil and said output transformer of said DC-DC converter are integrated with a forming resin.
2. A high-energy ignition device according to claim 1, wherein an aluminum case accommodating
said oscillator and said switching transistor is fixed to said igniter coil and said
output transformer unit.
3. A high-energy ignition device according to claim 2, wherein said aluminum case
is provided with heat radiating fins.
4. A high-energy ignition device according to claim 1, wherein the lines connecting
the secondary coil of said output transformer to the output terminal of said igniter
coil are embedded in said resin.